Interpretation of a Correlation between the Flux Densities of Extended Hard X-ray and Microwave Solar Bursts

Abstract

In a previous paper of this issue (Stewart and Nelson 1979 — Paper A) we showed that for extended bursts a good correlation exists between the observed 100 keV X-ray slux density and the 3.75 or 9.4 GHz microwave flux density. We also showed that the microwave spectrum of these bursts was much flatter (S ∝ f1.0 on the average) than the optically thick (self-absorbed) spectrum observed for impulsive microwave bursts (Crannell et al. 1978; Dulk et al. 1978). Furthermore, the microwave turnover frequency was > 10 GHz in eight of the nine events studied and <20 GHz in four of these cases. The remaining event, which was severely occulted by the solar limb, had a turnover frequency of ∽ 1 GHz.